Battle of Romance!
by Straw-hat-Writer
Summary: AUish. This is what happens when Lin gets bored on board Luffy's crew and sees something she considers a romantic scene shortly after. Please RR!
1. The Contest!

**Well, I was bored today and I decided to type this. XD It was actually a dream and I just HAD to write it. XD It was really funny in my head, and hopefully I can convey it to you. **

**Some things to know: This story has my OCs from my other story "Something Worthwhile", Saro and Lin. It has nothing to do with the plot in that story. This is just something random I dreamed up. That's all, so have fun!**

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**The Contest!**

Lin lounged about on the round table out on deck, the umbrella shading her from the sun. Nami sat on the other side, looking at a map and sipping at her tropical drink. Robin also sat nearby, of course reading another one of her books. Lin rested her head against the table and slumped forward, bored as ever. She looked about the ship and observed the crew.

"Chopper and Usopp are talking to each other. He's probably telling him stories right?" she idly said, Nami nodding in answer. Lin looked around again and saw Zoro looking out at the sea, maybe deep in thought.

"That's something you don't see everyday. Zoro's not sleeping, training, or eating," she commented. Robin glanced over, nodded, and went back to her book. A breeze blew by and Lin sat up, sighing, and leaning back in her chair. She blew a hair from in front of her face and noticed Luffy sitting against the side while Saro leaned back against it next to him, the two of them talking.

"Saro and Luffy are getting to know each other better, aren't they?" said Lin happily. Nami sighed, and openly agreed.

"You're actually right. They do get along, more than the rest of us," she remarked just as Sanji came out of the kitchen and slid down the rails towards the women. He held out a tray that held a glass of another tropical drink. He held it out for Lin and she gleefully accepted it.

"Thanks Sanji!" she said, quickly taking a sip. "Delicious!"

"Ah, Lin-chan, your angelic voice fills my soul with joy and happiness. Your bright eyes pierced my heart like the arrow of Cupid," he recited, making her blush and giggle. Another wind blew while Sanji began complimenting the other women, and Lin turned back to Saro and Luffy. Luffy looked up and noticed some flower petals floating by suddenly, reached up his hand, and grabbed a small group of them still stuck together.

"I wonder where those petals came from," she asked, her mouth biting the straw. He stood up and held it out, showing Saro. She looked with interest and felt at the petals, her eyes half closing from the soothing touch. He pushed it closer to her, Lin seeing him mouth the words "Here, you can have it".

"Aw… so kawaii…" she cooed, noticing Saro not knowing what to do. Nami looked up and felt a surge to agree with Lin. Robin looked up and smiled in subtle agreement.

"He probably doesn't even know that it's even a little romantic," muttered Sanji, though he had to admit the two of them looked a little cute next to each other. Lin shot up from her seat and had a face of excitement.

"Let's have a contest! Battle of Romance!" Suddenly, there was a loud boom, smoke flying everywhere. The ship disappeared and they showed up on a talk show type set. The audience area was filled up with thousands of fan girls cheering and whistling. The crew stared out at them nervously as Lin laughed and turned around, grabbing a microphone.

"Welcome to Battle of Romance where the men on the Luffy Pirate crew will battle it out, trying to be the most romantic character!" she announced. The fan girls screamed and waved several posters and flags.

"Where are we?!" exclaimed Zoro, waking up from everything. Sanji was going nuts by all the attention and didn't know which way to look. Nami and Robin were stationed behind a table, content with their current situation.

"Ok, everyone calm down while I explain the rules!" After several screams of the character's names, they finally quieted down.

"How do they know our names?" asked Luffy. Saro glanced over, shocked and nervous but Lin covered it up by ignoring him.

"This is how it goes. There'll be three judges: Nami-san, Robin-san, and myself! We'll be judging on the scale of 1-10. The three contestants will be Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji because Usopp has Kaya and Chopper is too young," explained Lin, resulting in an annoyed Zoro.

"I'm not doing this!" he argued, moving to leave. But Lin stopped him by explaining in his ear, "You see that little wall barrier right there? That's there so the fan girls don't rip you guys apart. If you leave, I'll just have to move that wall aside." Zoro stood still, not needing her to finish the rest of it.

"You wouldn't dare…"

"If I got us here, than why wouldn't I?" she remarked. He sat down and shut up while Lin said some final announcements.

"You three will be setting up a romantic date with…." A drum roll played as the lights danced about. "Saro!" The lights landed on her as she stood there, her eyes widened and her jaw somewhat dropped.

"What are you doing?!" she exclaimed, shaking her friend by the shirt.

"Come on! I'm already a judge with Nami and Robin, and you're the only one that won't do anything to them on this show!" she explained. Saro glared at her, her hands shaking.

"You owe me big time for this…" she muttered, letting go and returning to the center. The audience cheered again and screamed out the names of the three contestants. They even wore shirts with hearts and the manes of characters in it.

"Just imagine the date and it'll happen, so let round one begin!"

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**Nothing much right now, but just you wait! Please review! It'll make me happy! It'll also tell me if I should keep posting up chapters. Well, until next chapter! **

**Zoro: Battle of Romance??? Where's the "battle" part?!**

**Lin: It's just to make it interesting!**

**Zoro: Do I even _look_ interested?!**

**Zoro Fangirls: ZORO!! ♥♥♥♥ WE LOVE YOU!**

**Zoro: -shudder-**


	2. Round 1!

**Here's chapter 2! I think it was really cute, but whatever. It's what you decide... Since Zoro isn't really the romantic type, I'd say he's a little OOC in this. But, he _could_ have a romantic side. There just isn't the right person yet. XD

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Round 1: Zoro!

"First up, Zoro!" The light shined on Zoro and Saro, and there was an awkward silence between the of them, except the screaming fan girls… both angry and envious. He scratched his head to think of what to do, feeling a little uneasy about all this. "Hurry up, Zoro-kun! Your time is ticking!" said Lin again. He glared at her and just thought up of something simple. There was a flash of light and the two of them were in a secluded spot in the forest. It looked it was summer, so the cherry blossoms were coming into full bloom.

"Nice…" commented Saro, surprised at what Zoro could think up. She looked down and was shocked to find herself in traditional clothing and a sword by her side. She glanced down at her feet and noticed she had sandals on her feet. 'At least I got some new sandals.'

"Draw your sword," said a voice beside her. She looked up and found a sword pointing at her, the owner being Zoro. She jumped a ways away, and shakily grabbed the handle of her own sword.

**Nami: **This is supposed to be romantic?

**Robin: **The scenery is certainly intimate-like. It could possibly something only swordsmen understand.

**Lin: **Calm down ladies, he's only just begun this. So, let's keep watching.

'Sometimes I hate myself for listening to Lin,' thought Saro as she pulled out the sword. Expecting it to be lighter, she tripped forward, surprised, and put some effort into trying to hold it up. She stood there a bit shaky until Zoro finally sighed and walked towards her, sheathing his sword.

"Wh-what are you doing?" she asked, struggling to keep it up still. He grabbed one of her hands, and then the other and gently moved them apart from each other from their position.

"You're holding it wrong. You don't keep the hands together. You hold on here and the other at the end for support," he explained. "Also, change your stance so it's more comfortable," he added.

**Robin: **I see. He uses his skills in swordsmanship in order to teach her. This makes it a sort of… big brother moment.

**Lin: **Oh! -taps fist into palm in understanding-

**Nami: **Still kind of weird if you ask me…

"If you can't even hold it right, what point is there to fight?" he grumbled. Saro turned towards him, and told him, "That's what learning is for." He made a nervous expression and went on to teach her. He unsheathed his sword and showed her an action one step at a time. She gulped and tried to copy him, getting halfway through until she lost her footing.

"Watch it!" he called, grabbed her around the waist. She dropped the sword and he helped her up, picking up the sword for her afterwards.

"I never knew swords were this heavy…" said Saro, trying to hold it up again after Zoro had given it to her. She quickly switched to the beginning stance and tried again, this time not falling over. She did this again and again, through Zoro's instructions. She continued onto other stances and attacks until she was worn out from the weight of the sword itself. She sheathed the sword and promptly fell back onto the ground.

**Nami: **Wow… how romantic. Zoro makes her train to the point she falls down tired. What a romancer.

**Lin: **That must not be the only thing he's going to do. You're so mean like Saro.

"Tired already?" he asked, somewhat surprised.

"I've never… held a real sword before until now," she panted. She ran the back of her hand across her forehead, and kept it there to shade her eyes from the sun. He walked past her and sat down at the trunk of a cherry blossom, her glance following him.

"Are you going to just sit there in the sun forever?" he asked. Saro smirked playfully and walked over and sat right next to him, making him feel embarrassed again. He reached over and pulled a hair out from in front of her face, tucking it behind her ear. She smiled at him and thanked him, making him blush.

**Sanji: **Saro-chan! Don't fall for Marimo head!

**Lin: **Don't worry; you'll get your chance Sanji!

He grabbed an apple from a nearby basket, wiped it clean, and handed it to Saro. She accepted it happily and observed it a little, turning it this way and that, watching the shine move across the glossy apple skin. She was about to take a bite when he gently grabbed the apple and turned it so it would be between the two of them, and took a bite on the other side the same time she took a bite.

Saro's cheeks turned a pinkish color, and Zoro looked at her with his half closed, serpent-like eyes. His hand touched her hand as well while the two held the apple together, and finally they both bit off a piece. Her cheeks turned redder when she noticed his hands touching hers.

**Sanji: **No fair! He did the apple-kiss!

**Luffy: **Apples? I want apples! -tries to stretch over and grab the apple-

**Nami: **-punches Luffy in the head- Don't ruin it!

**Robin: **So you're enjoying it now?

**Nami: **No! I just… think it shouldn't be ruined.

**Lin and Robin (thinking): **She's enjoying it.

"Thanks for the apple," said Saro, still blushing from the little apple-kiss. Zoro, after hearing Sanji blurt it out, quickly let go and began thinking about what he had done. Saro cut the apple in half and handed the half he bit to him.

"Thanks," he said as he accepted it. They quietly ate together as the sun began to sink to the West. The cherry blossom petals were now glowing a red-orange color, catching Saro's intrigued eyes. A soft breeze blew by, shaking the branches, and the petals fell from them, descending down towards them. Zoro grabbed a group of them and held it between them.

"It's beautiful," cooed Saro, reaching her hand towards it. He grabbed it again, cupped it over his hand that held the petals, and lifted it up with his other hand. He gently kissed her hand and looked at her eyes.

"So are you."

**Lin (lovingly): **Unfortunately, that's the end of Round one with Zoro.

**Nami: **-sigh- That was pretty romantic.

**Robin: **I agree. So you _did_ like it.

**Lin: **Let's bring them back!

There was another flash of light and the two were back on the set in their normal clothes. The fan girls were all lovingly sighing, some disappointed that it wasn't them in Saro's place. Saro was still blushing a red color on her face when she went to take a seat. Sanji and Luffy ran over to him, one fuming and the other laughing.

"Marimo head! How dare you act like that towards Saro-chan? She's supposed to fall for me!" yelled Sanji. Luffy laughed and said, "You were pretty different in there. Do you really like Saro?"

"No! I don't know why I did that. It's a contest anyway, remember?!" he exclaimed, trying to pull attention away from him. Saro sat, content with herself after the situation was over.

"Ok! The judges will now reveal their scores!"

**Robin: **8

**Nami: **6

**Lin: **9

There were several jeers from the audience about Nami's score, but she still stood firm on her decision. She nearly knocked on of them out cold because of how loud she was. Zoro shrugged at his score and just went off into a corner to sleep.

Lin grabbed the microphone again and announced, "Well, in this game, the judges' scores don't matter. Yours does! So hurry up and score from 1-10 how romantic you thought Zoro was, if at all! So, cast your vote and it will be announced before Round Two!"

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**There could be a major flaw in what I'm about to do, but what the heck? Since this is a contest and all and people might find it unfair that I get to choose the winner, so... You, yes you the reader, gets to score! You don't have to, but if you do, it'll be more... authentic i guess. XD And don;t let what the judges said affect you, that's just them. XD**

**Just say somewhere in your review, "Zoro: whatever you scored him" The first ten people who vote will count so it's easier for me to calculate it. You can still score if you want to, but i wouldn't see why. Remember: it's on a scale of 1-10. Please review too even if you don't want to score... XD **


	3. Round 2!

**Come on guys! Fine, I'll just lower it to 5 scores, which means I need two more for Zoro. XD Well, here's Round 2! I hope you like the romancey-ness... my new word. I don't think I described his romantic side to its fullest potential, but hey, he's always romantic. xD Anyway, enjoy!

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Round 2: Sanji!

Saro was up and about again, no longer blushing from the last "date" she had. Luffy was walking along the side of the wall that kept the fan girls from getting their hands on the guys. All the Luffy fan girls followed him from the side, and being as easily amused as ever, he was laughing and grinning at them. But, soon he gave up when Lin grabbed the microphone.

"Alright everyone! It's time for Round 2! Due to technical difficulties, the scores won't be announced until the end of game. But, that put aside, we'll now go onto our next contestant! Sanji!" The light shined on Saro and Sanji now, and he held onto her hand, bowing quite low. Saro subtly smiled at his chivalry when Lin announced, "Ok, Sanji, you know the drill so let's get the show on the road!" Without even thinking for long, the white flash came quickly and they were now in an intimate atmosphere in a ballroom/restaurant type place.

'I guess he was thinking about it for a while…' thought Saro, looking around the dim room, soft music playing. There were other couples here as well, but that was natural since it was a restaurant. She looked down at herself to find herself in a slimming black dress, simple but eye catching. It was supported by being tied behind her back and around her neck. She also had high heels on for the occasion.

"Sanji…" she grumbled, knowing he didn't know she hated women's shoes. But, she stayed put, noticing that he was no where to be found… until there was a light tap on her shoulder. She turned around a found a dressed up Sanji in tuxedo and all, sauntering around her to take a seat himself.

**Robin: **As expected of Cook-san.

**Nami (grumbling): **Yeah, yeah…

**Lin: **So romantic…♥ You aren't jealous, are you Nami?

**Nami: **I am _not_.

"Good evening, Saro-chan," he greeted in his suave voice. She slightly smiled and greeted him back. The music ended and the man running the show stood up to the microphone.

"Thank you all for coming tonight to our restaurant, The Baratie, and please enjoy the next song entitled, Asi Se Baila el Tango. This is a good song for couples, so come on down to the ballroom floor," he announced, leaving to his seat off to the right wing of the stage. A woman came out on stage, also wearing a showy dress while the couples began coming down.

"Saro-chan, would you care to dance?" he asked, standing up and holding out a hand. She blushed a bit and accepted the request. They made their way to the ballroom floor, along with the other couples. Almost immediately, Sanji's eyes were averted to the other women standing around, his eye turning into a heart.

**Lin: **That's a bit of a… weak spot that Sanji-kun has…

**Robin: **A weak spot indeed… -scribbles down a note-

The music began and Saro knew there was only one way to get his attention. Everyone began dancing, including her and excluding Sanji… for now at least. She took step after step, moving her hips in a way that she swayed as she walked. She stopped in front of him, a few paces away. She fixed her dress, along with the final beat, and the edge of the dress was now just above her knees, as the style calls for in the Tango.

'I'm really going to kill Lin…' thought Saro as she continued to sway her hips as Sanji approached her. He had removed the jacket of his tuxedo and tossed it elsewhere. They came close and moved around each other in a circle and separated again just a few paces away again. Their eyes were locked on each other now, not noticing the other couples watching in awe and standing around them.

They came together once again, this time locking arms, Saro throwing her head back as they both bent towards the ground. They stood back up, and he spun her around him and they landed again, one knee bent and the other extended, towards the ground, one of his hands laced onto her hers and the other on her waist. Slowly they raised, their eyes still watching the other with something resembling burning passion. She wrapped the other hand around his shoulder and the both of them spun together, one of her legs wrapped around his.

"You're very good at this," he commented before leading her as she bent backwards, his leg supporting her as well. He pulled her back up towards him, and she answered, "You think so?" Before he could answer, she began rotating back and forth, one foot after the other, around his leg. He spun her once again and held her in front of him, her arms crossed.

**Nami: **Show off…

**Lin: **I've never seen Saro dance like this before, let alone dance at all!

**Robin: **Tango… a good choice

Hands held together and the others on her waist, they moved across the ballroom floor together, step for step. On the pulsed beat, she slightly kicked up her leg, brought it down, and he spun her around without assistance. After one spin, she returned to the stance and she turned back and forth, moving all the way around him till she was on the other side. Sanji spun her again, their hands together, and stopped her. Saro then turned around, tapped his hand, and he turned as well.

The raven black haired girl wrapped her arms around him and slid her leg up his, and quickly backed off, moving backwards as he advanced. She knelt down when he stopped, and he lifted her up with one arm, spinning her around him until she reached the other side of him. She bent back, where he caught her, and stood back up when he quickly grabbed her by the waist with both hands and pulled her close.

The two of them walked forward, slowly and step by step, Saro gliding her hands down her sides with a face of ecstasy. They parted for a brief moment and she spun back towards him, back into beginning stance. She leaned forward into him; he complimented by leaning back, and bent her head backwards as he ran a hand down her side. She spun out from him, threw a hand in the air, and quickly spun back, jumping up onto his lap, kicking up a leg, and landing gently back on the floor with one leg extended out and the other bent while he held one of her hands, the other of hers wrapped around his shoulders.

"Yes. I really do," he finally answered, his suave voice in play. The crowd around them applauded loudly while the two of them stood up, bowing together. The singer was also applauding the two of them. The announcer complimented with, "I've never seen that happen before at the resturant, one couple take over the floor. I have to hand it to you two." Sanji smiled at her, and she just blushed.

**Nami: **Great, now are they finished?

**Lin: **Stop being so cross, Nami.

**Nami: **I am _not _cross!

**Lin: **Fine… let's just keep watching…

The two of them left the restaurant after a small dinner and began just a simple walk out in the fresh, night air. Sanji placed his coat over Saro to keep her from the slight biting cold. They came across a park and decided to take a stroll through there. The moon shined on them, lighting their way as they walked past some shadowing trees. She looked up at the starlit sky as Sanji grabbed a nearby rose without her seeing.

"Saro, you're eyes turn the sparkling stars of the heavens seem dull and the moon has no comprehension possible to your shimmering hair," he complimented as they walked down the pathway. They walked over to the edge of a pond as she watched the reflection distort in the ripples of the water.

"I had a wonderful time, Sanji," she stated, blushing after the dance, especially since it was the Tango.

"I did as well, my dear, sweet rose," he swooned again. They both took a seat on a bench, the moon still shining as bright as ever. One would think it was actually day if not for the shadows in the distance.

"For you," he said, handing her the white rose. Saro held it, admiring the healthy petals. She snuggled up beside him to keep warm, and he gladly wrapped an arm around her to help. She looked up, clutched his shirt with her other hand, and kissed him on the cheek. He turned red, but held her chin delicately in his hands and kissed her full on the lips.

**Lin: **Aw… so sweet and romantic! Too bad it's over now.

**Robin: **I agree. I somewhat envy Saro a bit.

**Nami: **It was ok. -looks cross-

**Lin: **Okay! Let's bring them back!

For the second time, there was a flash and the two were back on set. Saro was, once again shoeless, but was content. She wasn't as moved by this date as much as her last one, but it was still made her feel very happy. Sanji was still red in the face and sitting, talking to himself. Luffy was bothering the fan girls again while Zoro slept.

"Ok, judges, reveal your scores!" announced Lin.

**Robin: **7

**Nami: **7

**Lin: **8

"What?!" he exclaimed, his hand in a fist. "I got a lower score than Marimo head over there?!" Zoro woke up, glared at him for a second, and just fell back asleep. He whined and cried while sulking by the judges table. The Sanji fan girls were screaming mad, clawing at the see-through wall.

Lin grabbed the microphone once again and announced, a bit nervously, "Well, that was a bit of a slack off for Sanji, but he's always so romantic anyway! Remember, it's the audience that counts! Well, you guys know the drill, now go ahead and score!"

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**Surprised weren't you? XD Well, I think Sanji can't have _all _the credit of being the romancer. You never know. Please, please, please review and score too! There's only 5 spots this time! **

**The description of the Tango, which was hard and I don't think I did very well at writing it out, was based off a scene from the movie Take the Lead and the song was from that scene too. So... credit to them... I guess.**


	4. Round 3!

**After taking forever to think of something for Luffy, i'm finally back with chapter 4! I hope you like it, and all I have to ask is that you score at the end. If not... well, I haven't really thought about it. I'll think of something if I don't get enough. Well, enjoy!  
**

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**Round 3! Luffy!**

Zoro, fully awake after the constant screeching of the fan girls, stood up from his napping spot and stretched. The Zoro fan girls ran towards the windowed wall again, drooling and screaming. He began backing away slightly when he heard a cracking sound. Sanji, on the other hand, was done sulking over his low score and was now looking for a way to get to the fan girls.

"Just wait, my loves! I'll find a way to you!" he told them, resulting in dreamy sighs and fainting girls. Luffy was too busy laughing at the girls fussing over him because he had no idea why they were. Saro went over to the judges table and crouched by Lin.

"Hey Lin… don't you think you've had enough fun with all this?" she asked as if trying to reason something to her. The school girl grinned playfully, making Saro sweat nervously. She stood up from the table, grabbed the microphone, and began her announcement.

"Ok, everybody! It's time for the final round with…" she began as a drum roll commenced. Saro began creeping away until the light spotted her, making her freeze like a deer in headlights. The other light landed on Luffy, who was wiping his tears of laughing away. The drum roll stopped with one last bang and Lin said, "Luffy!"

"It's my turn? Yay! I get to play now!" exclaimed the captain. Saro was hunched over on her hands and muttered, "Play? How's this playing…" The straw hat boy rushed over to Saro, grabbed her hand, and once again there was that bright flash. This time Saro was in normal clothing that she would wear back in her world: A blue t-shirt, jeans, and tennis shoes. She looked behind her and found that she was standing in front of an amusement park or carnival.

'Figures. Luffy does have the mind of a 9 year old,' she thought, though she wasn't complaining about being in regular clothing again. The tennis shoes were uncomfortable after walking around in sandals for so long though. She looked around her, and found that there was no Luffy to be found. She looked inside the carnival and again, there was no Luffy. 'He's not even here?' she thought, annoyed.

**Nami: **He doesn't even show up! –laughs while banging hands on table-

**Robin: **I don't see how that's funny, and Captain-san could just be a little late.

**Nami: **Well-

**Lin: **Yeah Nami. It's not funny. Luffy won't leave her stood up like that. I thought you knew your captain, you harsh woman.

**Nami: **… I'm not harsh…

Saro sharply sighed, running a hand through her dark hair. It was night time here, and she looked left and right one more time to see if he was just showing up. No Luffy. She grit her teeth with narrow eyes, and decided to just go ahead and wait. She rolled up the pant legs of her jeans to cool off her legs in the warm night air. When she had finished the second pant leg, she heard running footsteps from down the road.

"Saro! Saro!" called a voice. She looked up and saw Luffy running down the road, waving his arms in the air. He wore a white t-shirt with a blue open long sleeve shirt, his usual blue shorts, sandals, and of course, his treasured hat. He skidded to a stop in front of her, and waved a hello. She looked with no change in expression and asked him what had taken so long.

"Well, when I got here, I saw this food stand and… well…" he explained, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

"Whatever. As long as you are here, right?" she reasoned, turning towards the carnival. A hand stopped her by the shoulder and Saro turned around.

"Are… you really mad at me?" he asked like a child who hadn't realized what he did was bad. His face matched his tone, and Saro sighed again. She turned around and lightly grabbed his hand, closing her grip around it.

"No. Why would I?" she replied, slightly smiling. Luffy blushed, not as much as Saro, but grinned and dragged her into the carnival with a smile on his face. She followed with no resistance and the two went deeper into the festive area.

**Lin: **See! I told you Nami!

**Robin: **Captain-san is one who just cannot be angered at.

**Nami: **-grumble-

"Come on, Saro! Let's get on all the rides!" he persisted.

"Uh… sure then," she answered, not that she cared much. But, suddenly the straw hat boy stopped, Saro sunning into him. She rubbed her cheek while sitting on the ground, and then she looked up to see Luffy just standing there. She helped herself up, and looked at him, finding that he was drooling. She stood back disgusted, but found that there was a met stand right in his view.

"Go ahead," she said, tired to argue. He shot over there and began eating away, Saro following behind him. She stood by while he ate, but he stopped quickly and they began down their way again. 'I don't know what to expect with this kid…' she thought.

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

"Did you have enough slushies for your brain?" asked Saro, annoyed that Luffy decided to wash everything down with a slushy. But, he got carried away and gave himself a major brain freeze. Now, he was grasping at his head and bent over his knees while sitting on the bench, only able to groan in answer to her question.

**Nami: **A brain freeze?! That's a nice thing to do on a date.

**Lin: **Shh!

"That's what you get for trying to wash down _everything _you ate," she said in an exasperated tone. She looked up at the sky, the sky completely clear of stars and only the lone moon glowing above them. Finally, Luffy was able to sit up and let out a long held sigh. He shook his head and laughed, saying, "Whew! Glad that's over with!" He shot up and grabbed Saro by the wrist again, and this time, he dragged her towards a large Farris wheel.

"Hurry up! It's almost time to go!" he said as they reached the line. They entered a box together and they closed the door. This Farris wheel didn't have a top covering them, so they had a full view of everything. The machine started and they slowly rose up towards the sky. Luffy grinned happily as he hung over the edge while watching the lights on the carnival grounds.

"This is nice…" commented Saro, relaxing in the night air. Luffy glanced back, and smiled at her, taking a seat beside her as well. She sat up, blushing and looking the other way. Luffy thought for a second, thinking about what his other crewmembers had done on their date. When he finally thought of an idea, the Farris wheel halted to a stop and the two were stuck at the top.

'Great…" thought the writer as she stood up and walked towards the edge. She felt a hand wrap around her waist and the next thing she knew, she was falling several feet from the air with a crazy captain. He stretched out his hand, grabbed the metal, and landed softly on the ground, snapping back his arm. Saro, breathless, sat on the ground and gasped with a hand on her heart.

"What? That scared you?!" he exclaimed, laughing. Saro glared at him, and replied, "Well, it _was _off the top and off guard…" But before he could hear, he had run off again. Saro stood up, walked over to a bench, and sat down with a sharp sigh.

'That Luffy can really test one's patience,' she thought with eyes closed. She heard returning footsteps and them stopping in front of her. She opened her eyes and found a puff of cotton candy in front of her. She blinked, surprised.

**Lin: **Hmmm… I wonder if it's just plain luck…

**Nami:** Hm? What is?

**Lin: **Oh nothing, let's just keep watching.

He helped her up and the two exited the carnival, the lights behind them turning off and all that lit their way was a faint street lamp. She happily ate into the cotton candy, and quickly finished it off, licking her now sticky lips. He grinned, and she faintly smiled back, throwing the plastic bag away in a near by trash can.

"Thanks," she said shyly. He went up right in front of her, stuck his face near hers, and gently licked a small cloud of cotton candy from her nose. She blushed such a red that she thought she could see it. The captain smiled at her, and then pulled from behind his back a small present box.

"It's for you!" he said excitedly. She took it and opened it up, her eyes brightening. Inside was a golden bracelet with a small ruby engraved into it. She pulled it out, and Luffy helped her put it on. "You like it?" he asked sheepishly and slightly blushing.

"I love it…" she answered. He pulled her in for a hug and she looked up at a grinning boy. She blushed and he leaned in, kissing her lightly on the lips.

**Lin: **SO KAWAII!!! -squeals happily-

**Robin: **Captain-san made up for his little mistakes.

**Nami: **That... that... that wasn't Luffy! That must've been his brother in disguise!

**Lin (whispering to Robin): **It must've been so cute that she can't admit it and it's overwhelming her...

**Robin: **-nods in agreement-

**Lin: **Now, let's bring them back!

There was the flash of light again, and hopefully to Saro the last time, and they showed back up on the stage. Sanji came over, dread clouds over him as he looked at Luffy. Zoro smirked and patted Luffy on the back. Saro went away towards her seat and looked at the bracelet, along with the other two "presents" she got from Sanji and Zoro.

"Well judges! Reveal your scores!"

**Lin: **10!!!!

**Nami: **8

**Robin: **8

"Even lower than Luffy?!" exclaimed Sanji, now strangling the poor captain. Zoro laughed loudly at Sanji for having the lowest score which soon directed Sanji's anger at him. The two entered a brawl as Luffy tried to gasp in air.

"Ok then... well, time for you, the reader, to score Luffy on a scale of one to ten! Remember, the judges scores don't count, but your's does! So go ahead and score away, and the total will be announced when we come back!!"

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**Ok! I think Lin is biased... please review and score please! I need a couple more for the other guys too... please? I only need 5 for each of them! -big puppy eyes- I'll be forced to go against what everyone wants and choose the winner myself... BWUHAHAHAHA!!!! -cough- Well, see you later!**


	5. The Winner!

**Well, FINALLY! I gave the story for a friend of mine to rad, and she scored. It caused a little problem, but i resolved it in the story. Sorry I neglected this for a while, but here it is! Thanks for all the reviews and scores and I hope you like what happens! I'll try to get another chapter in My Destiny written and that'll be it for me! -goes back to school work-  
**

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**The Winner!**

After a long day of all this foolery and "fun" all at the expense of a certain writer's patience and emotions, the scores were sent in and Lin had gone back to tally them up. Before she left, she made Saro sit in a chair in the middle of the room in the spotlight for some reason. But Saro was smart to not resist for she knew what scary things that she could do.

'That girl is going to be the death of my sanity,' thought Saro as she sat in front of the protective wall where the fan girls continued clawing at the glass. The fight between Zoro and Sanji had been resolved, and the both of them were dusting off their clothes, not without glaring of course. Luffy had regained consciousness and was up and about again. Nami and Robin had gotten up from the table and were stretching out their tired bodies.

"Ah, Robin-chan. Nami-san. Both of you are such beautiful women who I know will always be with me," he swooned with a chuckle afterwards. Robin smiled at him while Nami glanced over at Saro, who was fidgeting in her chair.

"Ok! I got the scores now!" announced Lin, bursting from the door she had gone through to leave. In her hand was an envelope, and the other held the microphone. Nami and Robin's glace followed her as she made her way to a podium that emerged from the floor. The blond girl fixed the microphone into a handle and took a deep breathe.

"Ok guys, come on over to Saro for the scores!" she said. They did as told; Zoro standing on Saro's right, Sanji on her left, and Luffy behind her. The fan girls, surprisingly, sat down and quietly waited for the scores, each of them confident that their guy would win. "Let's see who won this contest!" she announced, ripping the envelope and looking at the card inside.

There was silence as she looked at the card. Her face was in a nervous state as she read the card. The novelist sat on the edge of her seat, awaiting the answer to finish this game. Luffy clutched his hat, Sanji looking with interest, and Zoro just not caring. Nami and Robin looked over the girl's shoulder, read the card, and also got nervous looks.

"Well… this is an odd turn of events," commented Robin. Nami sort of chuckled and started laughing while Lin gulped.

"It's a tie between Zoro and Luffy," she said into the microphone.

"HUH?!" the rest of them said collectively. Saro dashed up, grabbed the card and read it. Sanji began bawling that he wasn't of the tied and rolled around on the floor with his legs against his chest. Luffy laughed while Zoro grabbed his head, wondering if he'd have to do it all over again.

"Wait. If you round up their scores, then it will tie. But," Saro said, "Luffy actually won by .2 of a point." Zoro sighed a breathe of relief while Luffy whooped from winning the game. Balloons and confetti dropped from the ceiling in celebration except for the Sanji and Zoro fan girls.

"Now what?" asked Luffy. They all looked at Lin with her devious grin her face. This only made Saro's spirit drop because it only meant a one thing. She'd have to do something against her will once again.

"Well, in order to get back, you and the winner have to share a kiss," she giggled happily. "And you have to mean it!" Luffy slightly blushed while Saro took no hesitation to grab Lin by the collar of her shirt and shake her senseless while blushing an extreme red.

"LIN!!!!!" she exclaimed. She paused to see what the shaken girl had to say for herself.

"S-s-sorry, but I already planned it… so you have to or we're stuck here…" she panted. The writer dropped Lin and stood there for a moment. She stood still until she heard a cracking sound. It grew louder and louder until she looked up, her eyes widening and sweat pouring from her head. The fan girls were breaking the wall! Finally, the wall just broke down and they were loose.

"Not good!" she yelped. She ran over to Luffy, who was standing there stunned, and kissed him full on the lips. There was a bright white flash and the crew was back on their ship. Zoro and Sanji were panting and had some articles of their clothes ripped off. Sanji lost his entire black jacket.

"What the heck happened?!" yelled Zoro, feeling his right side to make sure his swords were still there, which they were. Sanji pulled out a cigarette and lit it, taking a deep breathe and blowing out a cloud of smoke.

"Whatever it was, at least it's over…" reasoned the cook. Nami, Robin, Usopp, and Chopper were already resuming their daily activities as if nothing had happened. Lin was grinning happily and running back from the back of the ship. "Lin-chan!" called Sanji, standing up. But, he was knocked down again with a glomp by the happy girl.

"Hey, where's Luffy and Saro?" asked Zoro, settling down for a much needed nap, already yawning. She smiled at the green haired swordsman, and answered, "I don't know, but I'm sure they're here on the ship." He raised an eyebrow to a wink she had given him, but shrugged it off and slept.

**OoOoOBack of the ShipOoOoO**

Saro blinked at the shocked captain as they were still kissing. She slowly backed away, trying hard not to look at him. He was still perplexed as to what had happened while Saro turned around and looked out at the sea instead. She rested her hands against the railing, gulping as she felt the blood still making her face red. Luffy was also blushing now, and he just stood there, not knowing what to do.

'I can't believe it… is this real… did I really kiss him? Or is this all a dream?' she thought. She shut her eyes closed and tried to think if it was a dream. She heard footsteps behind her, and opened her eyes, thinking Luffy was walking away. The writer turned around and found Luffy in front of her.

"Saro, did you really mean it when you kissed me?" he asked. Her eyes averted away from his and she thought for a moment.

"I don't know," she answered.

'I don't know what else to say… what is there to say?' she added in her thoughts. He looked at her in the eyes, grinned broadly, and grabbed her hand.

"Ok, then," he replied. He turned around, and began running towards the front deck. Her hand slipped out of his, and he paused to look back at her. She blinked slowly, and walked towards him, and then past him. He grinned and walked beside her, everyone turning their heads towards them.

"Are you still mad about all this, Saro?" asked Lin apprehensively. Saro glanced at her, smiled, and answered, "Am I?" Lin looked at her in a confused fashion as she left everyone to take a seat by herself off the side of the ship.

'I'm not mad… but I can't just say yes or no. It wouldn't be me…' she thought. 'But I'm not mad. That's one thing I know, among many others that I don't… Did I really mean it when I kissed Luffy?' She took a deep breathe, and felt a tap on her shoulder. Saro turned her head and saw Luffy grinning at her. He kissed her on the lips again, smiling at the edge of his mouth. The captain pulled away, leaving a stunned Saro.

"I don't get why Lin says, "You have to mean it!" It's just a kiss isn't it?" he asked. Saro smiled at him, and sighed as he leaned against the side next to her.

'Just a kiss it is… one that was meant? I guess we'll never know.'

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**Sorry it was so long and kind of random, but I didn't want it to end! But such a CLIFFIE! Lol. But anyways, I hope you liked it! Please review! And here were the real scores in the end: **

**Luffy: 8.8**

**Zoro: 8.6**

**Sanji: 8 **

**Poor Sanji. Lol. Again, I hope you liked it and please review! I'll get back to work on My Destiny now! Btw though, If you liked this story, you might like Something Worthwhile since it has my two OCs, Saro and Lin like i mentioned in the first chapter. Bah, back to homework. Bye!**


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